Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for evaluating weatherization techniques, and in particular to approaches for determining the quality and effectiveness of building insulation measures.
A variety of approaches can be used to weatherize or comfortize a building or structure. For example, it is possible to add insulation to wall, ceiling, and floor constructions to achieve a desired level of thermal, acoustic, or vibrational performance. Such insulation measures, which include drill and fill techniques, have long been employed by insulation contractors, re-modelers, and do-it-yourselfers. Drill and fill techniques typically involve drilling holes or cutting access slots into an un-insulated, under-insulated, or semi-insulated cavity of a given structure and then filling the cavity with pneumatically applied insulation or pressurized foam.
Although drill and fill techniques and other weatherization and comfortization procedures provide many benefits to a building or home, such methods may have heretofore been limited due to the lack of effective solutions for accurately gauging the adequacy of the procedure. For example, because the drill and fill technique is often a “blind” procedure where the installer cannot see the material being placed within the interior construction cavity, it is typically difficult for the contractor, the homeowner, or both, to know that the cavity has been adequately filled, that no voids or compressions are present, and that the correct insulation density exists in a uniform manner throughout one or more cavities, to provide a desired level of thermal and acoustic performance.
Current methods for gauging the adequacy of a drill and fill procedure involve counting the number of bags of insulation installed to estimate insulation coverage, installing insulation product under very high pressures to achieve high density, and using snake wires to check for voids in construction cavities. However, such methods are often prone to considerable error, and some can even cause damage to the building or structure.
For at least these reasons, there remains a need for improved systems and methods for evaluating a weatherization or comfortization installment in a building construction.